


Home ( and other crime scenes )

by Thestaredown



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), College graduates at varying levels of success, F/M, Flashbacks and me shaking cannon and putting what I like where and when I want it, Gen, Jug and Veronica as NYC besties, Just imagine the snark in coffee shops everywhere, M/M, Multi, Where these kids are actually adults while making their adult decisions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23322238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thestaredown/pseuds/Thestaredown
Summary: Betty Cooper sends resumes to publications nationwide in hopes of getting out from her mothers thumb. For now shes back home.Archie Andrews plays reasonably packed shows in L.A dive bars and hopes for his big break to come when he gets a call.Veronica Lodge can't for the life of her understand why her mother would want to move to nowhere town USA but ever the supportive daughter she is there to help her settle in.Jughead Jones only true aspiration after high school graduation was to leave the town with pep and never look back. He almost succeeded.On July 4, 2024  soon to be high school senior Jason Blossom was taken by a current in Sweetwater river. That was just the beginning.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Archie Andrews/any woman ever, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Jason Blossom/Polly Cooper (past), Joaquin DeSantos/Kevin Keller, Jughead Jones/ Veronica Lodge ( Past Brief), Kevin Keller/Moose Mason
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	1. Golden Boy Lost

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at writing any sort of fiction but the idea wouldn't leave me so I'm taking a shot.  
> This is Riverdale re-imagined. Same characters, the basic plot skeleton with some new muscle, a bit more age appropriate, by that I mean they are not teenagers throughout this craziness.
> 
> Read on hope you like it!

On July 4, 2024, Blossom twins Jason and Cheryl took an early morning boat ride through Sweetwater river.

The day was oddly cool for the middle of summer and Sweetwater river, though often tranquil in the summer heat, was alive, rushing and crashing along the banks.

It was along those banks that Dilton Doiley led his troops through Fox Forest in an early morning scavenging adventure.

It was also along those banks that those same troops came across Cheryl Blossom, hugging her knees and soaking wet in a pristine white dress, mascara in streaks down her cheeks.

Alone.

A boat that capsized during an anomalous rush of the normally calm river. A brave brother taking the reigns and ensuring his sisters safety along the rivers edge. Then nothing. A teenage boy gone.

That’s the story, just a story.

* * *

**Golden Boy Lost**

By: Elizabeth Cooper

July 5, 2024

Our small town of Riverdale was crushed yesterday morning upon the news that an early morning boat ride had turned perilous for incoming Riverdale High School seniors Jason and Cheryl Blossom. During a yearly boat ride the siblings take through Sweetwater river on July Fourth, the Blossom twins boat capsized.

Miss. Blossom was found by Riverdale alumni Dilton Doiley as he led his Boy Scouts in a routine scavenging exercise through Fox Forest. Mr. Doiley and the troops called for help and stayed by Miss. Blossoms side as the authorities were called.

As per the statement taken by Sheriff Keller of the Riverdale Sheriff’s department Cheryl Blossom was extremely shaken and at once tearfully adulated her brother “Jason was a saint, he got me to safety, he was looking out for me even though he could not do the same for himself.”

Clifford and Penelope Blossom are devastated at the possible loss of their only son and during a late-night town meeting had this to say. “We refuse to accept this, there is still hope, our son is not yet gone, and we will do all we can to bring him home.”

In further statements at last nights meeting the Blossom family made it clear that for the moment they regard their son as a missing person and hold out hope that he will return home.

The town convened with groups of volunteers all over Riverdale taking shifts to walk the edge of the river in hopes of finding the young man that was lost to it.

Jason Blossom was last seen early on July 4, 2024. He has red hair and hazel eyes; he stands at 5’11 with an athletic build. At the time of his disappearance he was wearing a white button-down shirt and khaki dress pants.

If you have any information regarding Jason’s whereabouts, please contact the sheriff’s department immediately.

The Blossom family as well as the town of Riverdale as a whole hold out hope for his safe return home.

* * *

Her mother was leaning in close reading over her shoulder.

“Honesty Elizabeth, how you were able to turn the story of the year into a puff piece is beyond me. Clearly this was far too much responsibility, I should have you writing about the local animal shelters if this is what you’re going to give me on a hard-hitting piece.”

Her mother’s diatribe went on for five more minutes, hands in wild gestures eyes wide. No breaths.

Betty hands went over her knees, nails tapping across her kneecaps. Breathe.

She thinks of asking her mother if she, much like Jason Blossom, had ever been part of Riverdale High’s unfortunately named Aquaholics swim team.

It would explain the lung capacity.

Her mother continues her back and forth pacing and ranting. She remembers Jughead Jones calling it the dragon walk when they were 9 and had gotten caught attempting a midnight movie and snack in her basement. At some point during her mother’s rant the young boy had whispered to Betty “If she keeps up that pacing and huffing, do you think she’ll breathe fire like a dragon too?”

Despite how scared she was of her mothers anger she laughed, a small little chuckle. She’s sure that her two-week grounding had more to do with the laughter than anything else.

She’s not sure how well laughter would go over right now.

“Four years at the Yale Daily News and this is what you give me, it’s no wonder you had to come home. Be thankful that nepotism has given you a job.” Saying this her mother turned to leave the small office Betty had been assigned upon her return to the sleepy town just two months ago.

Looking over her shoulder she narrowed her eyes at her daughter and huffed. “Well no matter, we have to go to print today, your little puff piece will do.” Tapping her nails on the door frame Alice went on “Far better than that bastard Jason Blossom deserved, here’s hoping he safely returns to hell.” One last stare of biting disappointment and her mother leaves her office at last.

There it is, Alice Cooper true to form everyone, no applause needed, this show’s here 24-7, encores on days you eat an extra carb.

Betty leaned back in her chair letting out the breath she always seems to hold when in close quarters with her mother for too long.

A young boy missing, and her mother is hoping for the worst against everyone’s best. Betty wishes she could feign surprise, but it’s been a long time since her mother’s actions have shocked her and the Blossom name has never drawn positivity in the Cooper household.

Back at her computer she sent the final draft of her ‘puff piece’ to her father for further editing. Here’s hoping Hal Cooper is a bit more lenient in criticizing her treatment of the lost boy.

She brings her phone out of its hiding place within her desk drawers. She had left it at her apartment after receiving the SOS from her parents about the breaking story and was exhausted by the time she returned home well past midnight and realized that in all the commotion she hadn’t spoken to or seen one person that would be very personally affected by the case.

She had called her sister three times that morning. She left two messages. She sent several texts.

Nothing. Radio silence.

Hal and Alice Cooper clearly have a problem with the Blossoms in general and Jason Blossom in particular. Betty has known this her whole life.

Polly Cooper, Betty’s younger sister, has no such problem. For the last two years she has gushed about Jason and talked Betty’s ear off over how in love she was. The relationship took a nasty turn this year and the subsequent breakup had left Polly a heartbroken mess.

That breakup was only three months ago, and as early as last week Polly confided in her sister that she still loved Jason, still wanted to be with him, still hoped they could get back what they had when things were good. In all honesty her sister had practically glowed as she spoke in between sips of one of Pop Tate’s famous chocolate shakes.

If Betty didn’t know any better, she’d say her sister’s happiness had more to do with a recent reunion rather than a hopeful future. But surely Polly would have told her if that was the case.

Wouldn’t she?

Looking down at the blank screen of her phone she began to dial for her sister again.

Her poor grieving little sister whose parents and sister are currently hard at work writing non-stop about a tragedy that directly affects her. All three who left her alone to grieve.

Her parents she realizes are here at the Register, business as usual, and haven’t said a word about her sister.

It goes straight to voicemail.

A dark feeling settles over her stomach like lead, heavy and foreboding.

Something isn’t right.

For the first time in nearly four years Betty feels her nails curling into her palms. Their intent to pierce.


	2. Other Types of Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead and Veronica reconnect and the Lodge family goes through an abrupt change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter was all Betty, here we go elsewhere.

_August 30, 2021_

_Brooklyn, New York_

_“I’ve decided that we aren’t done yet.”_

_Jughead’s eyebrow quirked up at the sudden declaration. “It’s been two months Veronica, pretty sure done happened back in June, care to tell me what this is about? I’ve never been stalked by an ex before—"_

_“I brought you a muffin” She swiftly interrupted and pushed the box containing the confection closer to him before rolling her eyes. “And get over yourself you’re not being stalked, you’re just horribly predictable.”_

_Well she’s not wrong. He comes to this same coffee shop and sits at this same table, at the same time, every week like clock work._

_He grabs the box and starts lifting the lid before regarding her again “What’s with the seduction techniques? A muffin out of the blue? I have half a mind to think you’re trying to get me out of my pants.”_

_Veronica stared from across the small table eyes narrowing and her arms crossing. “Are you done being an asshole yet so I can make my point?”_

_Jughead leaned back in his chair an amused smile on his face. “Sure, I can take a small break”_

_“We weren’t right for each other—” Unable to stop himself he started “Hence the break—”_

_“Damn it Jughead can you stop and listen! I came for a reason and your starting to make me change my mind.” She gathered her purse from her lap and stood. “This was clearly a bad idea on my part.”_

_Shit, he always takes it a step too far, doesn’t he?_

_He stood and reached for her hand as she turned away from the table pulling her back down into the now vacant seat. “I’m sorry, I’m an ass, that’s been established as fact.” He raked his hands over his face and through his hair settling back in across from her. “It was too easy to slip back into teasing, haven’t had a good verbal spar in a while, guess I missed it.”_

_She sat primly, legs crossed at the ankle, a familiarly haughty look on her face and a perfectly manicured eyebrow lifted to a sharp edge. “Well before you made me rethink my sanity I was going to agree.”_

_Her eyes softened, she looked down tenting her hands and playing with her fingers before looking back him. “I miss you”_

_His mouth dropped open in question as she held up her hand up to stop any extra commentary. “I don’t mean it in an I want you back way, I just miss you.”_

_Realizing she got his attention she continued. “We broke up and that happens, my life shifted back to normal and I realized I missed the things that became part of my life when we were together. I missed being lazy on Saturday mornings, and watching awful b-movies with scathing commentary. I missed having someone to talk to about things other than money and the next social function of the year, someone who wasn’t just kissing my ass to get in my good graces.”_

_She looked down, carefully twisting the delicate pearl necklace she wore between her fingers._

_“I go out with twenty girlfriends on the weekend and we have fun but the only thing they know about me is my drink order and net worth. Really, it’s all they care about. I think you were my first real friend, and I want my friend back.”_

_With a slight smile Jughead looked her in the eyes “I’m not exactly Mr. Social Veronica, but for what it’s worth, I may have missed you too.”_

_Finally opening the small box before him, Jughead leaned back into his chair with a laugh, smirking as he took a bite from the lemon poppy-seed muffin within. “It’s just as well you were after friendship and not seduction anyway Ronnie, my pants only come off for blueberry or better.”_

_He’s not even mad when she hurls the empty box at his face._

_She’s right, he misses having a friend._

* * *

June 30, 2024

New York, New York

“I still can’t believe she’s doing this”

“I still can’t believe we’re from the same place, even more, that she’s willing to go back after a successful escape.” Jughead said grabbing some more of Mama Lodges priceless knickknacks and placing them into the open box before him. He lay across the couch and began tossing a sparkly egg shaped… thing into the air out of boredom. Moving is painful when it’s for you, helping someone else do it might be a circle of hell Dante left unmentioned as to not lean too far into fear.

That might be a touch dramatic.

“I’ve got the newspaper and packing material; you better not just be throwing those priceless fragile things into the box Forsythe!” Veronica's voice carried from the lounge. He was a good 40 tosses into his egg game and looked down into the box he’d been packing. Fragile figures touching in an unlined box. Well, it’s not his fault he didn’t have the proper tools.

Just a bit more of a break. 45, 46, 47, 48, 49…

“Do you want to explain why you’re playing catch with a gem encrusted egg worth more than your apartment building?” Veronica stood overhead, egg in question in her hand her eyes wide in disbelief.

Jugheads own eyes went wide as he sat back up on the couch “Why the hell did you let me touch it at all! Are you insane?”

“I thought, misguidedly it seems, that you would put away my mother’s fragile things with care. I’ve seen you pack your camera equipment and baby your laptop, I know your fully capable.”

“Yeah, I know what the stakes are with my own shit Veronica, here we’re talking about fancy eggs and weird decorations that are worth more than my rent for reasons that I couldn’t understand if I tried. I break a $600 lens because I’m not careful that’s on me, you let me put away tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of superfluous rich people stuff without telling me and as far as I’m concerned any casualties are on you.”

Veronica took a deep breath before joining him on the couch. “Well” she breathed out eyes growing glassy. “Guess it’s a good thing it’s not just superfluous rich people stuff, they’re the only things of value we can actually keep.”

Right.

With a sigh Jughead settled back into the couch wrapping an arm around her and letting her curl into his side. “I know, and I’m sorry for being an ass, the status quo got all shaken up and sometimes my mouth reacts faster than my brain.” He felt a scoff at his shoulder as Veronica lifted her head to meet his eyes. “Sometimes? Have you met yourself? You enjoy quick comebacks more than most rational people enjoy self-preservation, if you didn’t actively avoid human interaction I’d be hauling your ass to and from the ER because of all the ass kicking’s coming your way.”

“I resent the insinuation that I’d be in the hospital in these hypothetical attacks, I’ll have you know I’m scrappy as hell Miss. Lodge.”

“I’m sure you are” She said, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.

He sat back letting her go before asking “So what’s the update on the situation? You pretty much just told me to come help pack today.”

“Mom has a building in her name in that little Stepford town you two hail from. It can’t be touched. Since all of our other properties are in daddy’s name, she feels like it makes more sense for her to settle into Riverdale until things are sorted with the case.” She explained.

“It would probably be good for her to be away from all the talk too, being in close quarters with everyone your dad screwed over is probably getting to her.” He looked at Veronica “It’s been getting to you.”

It was true, his normally poised and collected friend had been harried in the weeks following her fathers arrest. Everyday she seemed to lose something that she had never thought twice about. If she didn’t lose something on a specific day she’d run into a “friend” that would helpfully remind her how poor she is now that her father is a scummy criminal.

She cried when her credit card got declined the first time. By the time her apartment got taken she was numb. It was a simple phone call to let him know he was going to have a roommate soon.

Jughead had lost a lot in his life, family, friends, and there was never enough general living material to go around in the Jones house. He knew loss, need, and want. Those feelings have been some of the only true constants in his life. But a continual ebb of disappointment isn’t the same as a sudden rush of drastic change.

It makes it difficult to gauge if Veronica and her mother are taking this well or not. When you live life expecting the floor to fall out from under you, it’s hard to remember that most people expect solid ground by default. 

“She wants me to go with her” Veronica says stopping his train of thought.

“I know, you’re going to help her settle in. Wasn’t that the plan?” He asked.

“She wants me to stay” 

Oh.

“ Why would she want you to stay? You have law school in the fall and we’ve already settled that you can have my second bedroom, and if we end up trying to murder each other we’ll figure out alternate arrangements as we go.”

Eyes turned up toward the glimmering chandelier hanging in the now empty home of her childhood Veronica continued. “The lawyers called mom yesterday morning, turns out the trust holding my college fund wasn’t exempt from the financial freeze. I can’t afford to go to school and as the lovely woman in the financial aid office told me I’m too late to try and get any grants or loans and I didn’t qualify for any work study position because of my parent’s income. I was able to defer my admission and Columbia will hold my spot for a year, but law school is not happening right now.”

“Why didn’t you say anything yesterday? I would have gone with you, at least as some form of moral support. The financial aid office is not for the faint of heart.” He added.

“I could have, but you had work and you would have missed out on a shoot to hold my hand through something most people have had to deal with. I have to start facing some of these things on my own.”

“I don’t want to stay in Riverdale, but I do have to go.” She looked at him, eyes going as wide as she could force them, dark lashes fluttering dangerously as she put on her best saccharine voice. “ It would be much faster if you came with, show me the shadows you used to inhabit, the places you lurked antisocially, help mom put away her priceless rich people stuff, and then we could double back into the city in no time.”

Shaking his head at the wide-eyed puppy dog eyes she thought would work Jughead laughed. “That’s a hard no, love you, love your mom, but I have far too much self-respect to be dragged back anywhere that describes itself using the word pep. Being a city bound New Yorker suits me just fine.”

“Although—” he started looking hopefully at her “if you can convince Pop Tate to give you a few well packaged burgers for your return trip I wouldn’t be opposed.”

“It’s always food with you.”

* * *

July 5, 2024

Riverdale, New York

The town was quaint and eerily quiet. Very cookie cutter and the exact opposite of what Veronica was used to.

They got in just past 10:00 am and thankfully to no fanfare. Jughead had warned her that gossip in small towns is no joke and despite the distance from the city she should expect everyone to know her name and her business pretty much from the jump.

Her mom had agreed with him and seemed genuinely surprised when they made their entrance into the small town without attracting any attention.

She had gone down to retrieve the last box from the car when a voice cut through the silence.

“Hey! You live here?” It was a boy on a bicycle wearing a brown shoulder bag filled with what looked like newspapers, he was gesturing toward the Pembrooke, her mother’s property and new home.

A paperboy, this town still has paperboys.

“My mother just moved in, why do you ask?”

The boy answered, “Special edition of The Register, everyone in town is supposed to get one, I’ve never seen anyone at this place though, so I thought I’d ask.”

He got off his bike and walked up to Veronica handing her a perfectly rolled up honest to goodness newspaper.

“Thanks”

“No problem, and welcome to town I guess!” with a wave the boy jumped back on his bike and continued his route as Veronica unrolled the newspaper.

On the front page, the picture of a teenage boy in a letterman jacket with red hair and a blinding smile.

“Golden boy lost…” Veronica murmured to herself.

That solves one mystery she supposes.

The town wasn’t ignoring their arrival, they were simply old news before they arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the intro to Veronica and Jughead. They are an interesting dynamic to explore, especially in these altered circumstances.
> 
> In the next chapter, Betty checks on Polly and Archie receives an SOS.

**Author's Note:**

> There it is. 
> 
> I was wondering what the show could have been with some slight alterations. A lot of the plots have these very young teenagers entangled in things that would make much more sense if they were even a bit older (Veronica’s Speakeasy/ Serpent Leader Jug anyone). So I thought lets make them older, the premise remains the same but the fact that they are all adults removes a huge barrier and in some ways ups the stakes.  
> Everything won’t be the same, some elements of the plot will change, some things may have happened in the past (high school) rather than concurrently as it would have on the show.


End file.
